This invention relates to reading stands in general and, more particularly, to a reading stand for supporting an open book or an index card having instructions or the like printed thereon so that the user may proceed with an endeavor, craft or hobby and follow the printed instructions in a hands-off manner.
The instant invention provides such a stand which includes a transparent, flat magnifying panel which is placed in front of the printed material so that the user may follow the instructions or directions by reading the same from a rather considerable distance.
The following prior art includes a number of useful reading stands but none which disclose the use of a magnifying panel so that the material being read is enlarged whereby the user may follow instructions or the like from a considerable reading distance. U.S. Pat. No. 2,896,364 issued to H. M. McCollister shows a bed headboard attached book holder including a transparent panel through which the book may be read. The panel may be made of plastic or glass but the panel has no magnifying function. U.S. Pat. No. 3,272,183 issued to M. E. Craighead et al discloses a stand for stenographic papers including multiple slots for a supporting back for holding copy and additional backs for holding papers not being copied; no transparent panel through which copy is read is disclosed.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,874,501 issued to R. B. Cronheim is directed to an index card box including an opaque plate with clips for the display of the preselected card. No transparent viewing a panel is disclosed. U.S. Pat. No. 4,199,125 issued to K. Simon illustrates a bathtub edge supported reading stand including a transparent shield over a stand which retains the copy being read. However, the shield has no magnification characteristic. U.S. Pat. No. 4,313,589 issued to A. S. Vega shows a bookstand for bed use including a transparent base through which an open book is read while the user is in a reclined position. Again, however, there is no teaching that the transparent base has any magnification function.
In direct contradistinction to the prior art, the present invention is a reading stand or holder having a base to support copy and a transparent, flat magnifying panel which is placed a pre-selected distance from the copy being read whereby the copy is magnified so that it may be read from a considerable distance away. The reading stand of this invention may also be mounted on or within an otherwise conventional file card box so that a selected card may be placed behind the magnifying panel and then be read from some distance away.